,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bddi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bj1     
#bjbc,mr4 ,lujn 7for himself and ,mr4   
,welch7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1
 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the
 ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh to  
make permanent the moratorium on benefit
 transaction fees1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,ensuring ,fee-,free
 ,benefit ,transactions ,act of #bjbc4  
#b4 ,fee-free benefit transactions  7a7 
,in general ,section #g of the ,food and
 ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 
#bjaf7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7d71 by striking the period at the end  
and inserting 1 including completeness  
of fraud protection and fraud prevention
 tools and coverage of infrastructure   
costs42  7#b7 in subsection             
7f77#e77;,b77ii7-- 7,a7 by striking     
shall consider and inserting the        

following3 shall-- 7,i7 consider  2     
7,b7 in subclause 7,i7 7as so           
designated71 by striking the period at  
the end and inserting 2 and2 and  7,c7  
by adding at the end the following3     
7,,ii7 require ,state agencies to review
 existing technology and contract       
requirements during each contracting    
period to ensure that ,,ebt technology  
reflects commercial standards to ensure 
security of benefits4  2 and  7#c7 in   
subsection 7h77#ac71 by striking        
subparagraph 7,b7 and inserting the     
following3  7,b7 ,other fees ,no ,state1
 or any agent1 contractor1 or           
subcontractor of a ,state who           
facilitates the provision of            
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program benefits in that ,state1 may    
impose a fee for-- 7i7 switching 7as    
defined in subsection 7j77#a77 or       
routing those benefits2  7ii7 costs to  
implement subsections 7d7 and           
7f77#e77;,b72 or  7iii7 other costs     
associated with updating the ,,ebt      

processing infrastructure4  4  7b7 ,rule
 of construction ,nothing in the        
amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall 
modify or affect the provisions of title
 ,,iv of division ,,hh of the           
,consolidation ,appropriations ,act1    
#bjbc 7,public ,law #aag-cbh71 or any   
agency action taken pursuant to those   
provisions4  #c4 ,effective date ,this  
,act and the amendments made by this    
,act shall take effect on ,october #a1  
#bjbc4